Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 37/100
F
Median home value$854,400
San Francisco $1,140,700
Median rent$2,391/mo
San Francisco $2,474/mo
Cost-burdened households40%
San Francisco 38%
Hayward
Alameda County158,801 residents3 school districts
48
D+
Suburbgrade score
48th of 59 San Francisco suburbs. Strongest on cost of living, held back by housing & affordability.
48
San Francisco median 60
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for Hayward yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 48 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What Hayward is like to live in, by category
Bars show Hayward against San Francisco. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 42/100
D−
Within-state proficiency42nd pct
San Francisco median 73rd pct
Student–teacher ratio22.0
San Francisco median 21.7
Graduation rate85%
San Francisco median 89%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 71/100
B−
Housing cost index88
San Francisco 100
Eff. tax rate0.71%
San Francisco 0.73%
Local sales tax10.75%
San Francisco median 9.75%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 40/100
D−
Mean commute32.3 min
San Francisco 31.0 min
Under 30 minutes46%
San Francisco 52%
Transit stops / sq mi13
San Francisco median 8.8 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 60/100
C
Restaurants & cafés42
San Francisco median 64 · within 2 miles
Groceries4
San Francisco median 7 · within 2 miles
Parks41
San Francisco median 59 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 43/100
D
Median household income$113,318
San Francisco $136,027
Unemployment6.3%
San Francisco 5.7%
Professional occupations37%
San Francisco 56%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
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No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for Hayward yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
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Do you feel safe walking after dark?
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Can you walk to a grocery store?
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Is it good for young children?
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Are yards and streets well kept?
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Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than Hayward on housing & affordability
Hayward's weakest grade is F. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbHousingOverall
Orinda18 mi from HaywardB 65 C+ Alamo17 mi from HaywardB 69 B− Danville15 mi from HaywardB− 70 B− Lafayette18 mi from HaywardB− 67 C+ San Carlos13 mi from HaywardB− 74 B Moraga15 mi from HaywardC+ 62 C Median home value: ACS 2020–24 · Ownership rate: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in Hayward
Is Hayward, CA a good place to live?
Hayward scores 48 out of 100, 48th of 59 San Francisco suburbs. It is strongest on cost of living and weakest on housing & affordability. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is Hayward expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades B−. The median home is $854,400, 25% below the San Francisco median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.71%. $2,391/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in Hayward?
Schools grade D−. The districts serving Hayward sit at the 42nd pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 85% graduation rate and a 22.0 student–teacher ratio. Hayward is served by Hayward Unified, New Haven Unified and San Lorenzo Unified School District. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from Hayward?
The mean commute is 32.3 min, with 46% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 14% working from home. Transit density is 13 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in Hayward?
Within two miles there are 4 groceries, 42 restaurants and cafés and 41 parks, which grades C on amenities.
Are the homes in Hayward old or new?
The median home in Hayward was built in 1972 — close to the San Francisco median of 1968. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 62% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.